The 2014 Indian Chieftain (left), Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special (center) and Victory Cross Country provide upper-body wind protection and luggage capacity for the long road. (Photos by Kevin Wing)

Functional, big-inch V-twin baggers are all the rage these days. In addition to lots of style, these bikes offer the comfort of some upper-body wind protection with the practicality and convenience of saddlebags. To enlarge upon the idea that these are not stripped but well-equipped models, keep in mind that, in addition to a fairing and bags, an engine that displaces more than 100 cubic inches powers each of these bikes. That is then teamed with a 6-speed transmission and belt final drive. Then consider that these bikes are also equipped with anti-lock brakes, cruise control and a standard sound system to add tunes and communications to your riding pleasure. And with their snarling style, these cruiser baggers do not convey the stodgy vibe of “old-guys-go-touring.”

To appreciate just exactly how un-stodgy these bikes could be, we gathered three of the top American-made brands including the Victory Cross Country, Harley-Davidson’s new Street Glide Special, and the renewed classic on the block, the latest and best iteration of the Indian, the top-line Chieftain model. Each of these bikes has its own distinct personality and performance characteristics, so after running around on them for a few weeks locally, we took them out for a multi-day ride to cover all aspects of what they can do.

Harley, Indian and Victory interpretations of America’s most popular touring motorcycle, the bagger.

The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special’s cockpit feels compact, its controls are positioned closer to the rider and its handlebar is narrower than the others. The batwing fairing has that classic look that will never go out of style, and which provides great hand protection. It receives certain modern tweaks and upgrades, and one innovation from Harley’s Project Rushmore for 2014 is the Splitstream vent below the windscreen. The vent reduces buffeting and is designed to be open in most riding conditions; a One-Touch latch closes it keep the rain out. Also, its inner fairing is now gloss black, and the front fender has a new, lower profile.

For the traveler, the saddlebags retain their classic look, but their new latches include single-release levers that are easy to operate from either side of the bike and are a huge improvement in convenience. However, the Harley’s saddlebags do not hold quite as much luggage as the bags on the other bikes here.

Climb aboard the Victory Cross Country and there’s a lot of room to move around. With its long, wide handlebar and the feet spread out on long floorboards, it offers a spacious feel, much more so than the Harley. Its wide, low fairing with vestigial windscreen does not offer much wind protection. What the bike does offer, however, is that its saddlebags with their arched lids provide the most luggage capacity of those here, and the seat provides a real pocket that I found very comfortable.

Get the Victory up to speed and you’ll notice that its motor feels sprightly, but rougher under acceleration than the others, and that its brakes are powerful but lack sensitivity and feedback. Despite this, more aggressive riders will appreciate the Victory for its very impressive handling, sporty ride and power. Although it offers the most horsepower of the three, the Victory motor lacks the throaty sound of the Harley-Davidson and Indian. Still, the entire bike presents a badass vibe.

Let out the clutch on the Harley and the 103-inch engine provides plenty of torque right off the line. As with any Harley, it carries its weight low and its 27.4-inch seat height is low, yet the seats on the other two bikes are lower still.

Each of these bikes offers the basics of touring comfort and convenience, yet their snarling style avoids the stodgy “old-guys-go-touring” vibe.

The narrow handlebar means less steering leverage, so the bike required slightly more effort to steer. Though equipped with the new, beefier 49mm fork, the Harley still felt flexy in the turns. The rider can now adjust the preload on the rear suspension by turning a knob on the side of the bike. However, with only 2.13 inches of travel in the dual rear shocks, the rear suspension beats you up on a bumpy road regardless of the setting.

Another Project Rushmore innovation on the Street Glide Special is the Reflex Linked anti-lock brakes, which work well. This system is unique in that it functions electronically so that it is not linked at speeds below 20-25 mph, which allows the rider to drag the rear brake in certain situations, such as low-speed maneuvers or in hairpin turns to stabilize the bike. At higher speeds (or when being braked down through this speed range from a higher speed) the brakes are linked, with braking force distributed appropriately by a proportioning valve.

Approach the Indian and you’re left with no doubt as to what it is. In addition to the usual emblem on the tank, those signature fenders and the illuminated Indian head out front, the bike comes with another emblem on the motor and yet others on the air cleaner and derby cover for good measure.

Take a seat on the new Indian and its dashboard is clean. It offers a vintage look with just a speedometer and tach, but there’s a full-function LCD display in the center, and keyless starting. The rider carries an electronic fob that allows the motor to be started or the bags to be unlocked when the fob is within a few feet of it. Forget your fob, and you can enter a personal access code to go motoring. The Indian’s seat offers good cushioning, but each of us wished that it had been positioned just a little farther rearward so we could stretch our legs more. The mirror stalks are so short that the carbon-fiber knuckle protectors on our gloves came into contact with the mirrors while we were riding.

While the Harley (left) and Victory (right) fairings offer good hand and upper body protection, their shorty windscreens offer little more. But the Indian Chieftain (center), with its electrically adjustable screen, blocks a lot of wind.

The Indian’s suspension is very compliant, including the air-adjustable rear shock, but it could use some better calibration. It’s the only bike here on which the fairing incorporates an electrically adjustable windscreen and, thanks to it, the Indian offers the best wind protection overall, though there is some distortion around the edges of the shield. With that said, however, it would be a simple matter for riders to add a taller accessory windscreen and lower wind deflectors to the other two bikes to improve their protection.

The new 111-inch Indian motor has a great sound and feel, but the power does not come on in a rush. It is said that dyno figures don’t lie, but on occasion they don’t tell the full story, either. In our riding test, the Victory felt strongest and the Harley definitely got off the line quicker than the Indian, which felt lazy by comparison. But when we checked the figures from our dyno-cologist, things didn’t seem to make sense. On paper, the Victory produced the most horsepower by a good margin, which was confirmed by our seat-of-the-pants impressions. However, the figures also showed that the Indian made considerably more torque than the Harley up until 4,500 rpm, yet in actuality the Harley launched from a stop much quicker. Granted, at 808 pounds wet, the Street Glide Special is much lighter than the 847-pound Chieftain, but otherwise we believe that the differences between dyno numbers and actual performance can be explained by the fact that dyno tests are conducted with a rolling start, and because of differences in the two bikes’ servo-operated throttles.

Overall, after the previous revivals, we were impressed that this latest Indian effort is this good, and that the price is this competitive. The bike can compete on its own merits, rather than having to rely on the coolness factor of its magic name.

These are all touring bikes, yet their bags are easily removable for cleaning or should you wish to change their look. Though we rode them aggressively, we found that each bike has acceptable cornering clearance so they did not inordinately limit our fun in the curves. Should you desire more in terms of luggage capacity and wind protection, Harley and Victory each offer more fully dressed models with a trunk and lowers, but Indian, as yet, does not.

To summarize this trio of American big-inch V-twins with their practicality and custom touches, here’s your basic guide: If you want a spacious cockpit that allows you to stretch out, a taut suspension, great frame and good power, and the bike that feels most competent on a winding road, take the Victory. Or if you’d prefer the most classic look that will become a conversation starter at every biker hangout, and want to ride the comfortable one with a more compliant suspension and cushy seat, you’ll choose the Indian. Finally, for that other classic look and an engine that delivers immediate low-end power (no matter what the dyno says), the Harley Street Glide Special will be happy to spend time on your choice of roads.

This article American Baggers was published in the February 2014 issue of Rider magazine. It included individual reviews on each of the three motorcycles. To read them, follow the links below:

Comments

To the guys reviewing these three bikes, I really think you considerable downgraded the Harley Davidson Street Glide Special throughout your review and mostly in your closing statements. The project Rushmore was a huge improvement and consisted of major innovations and design. Look at the controls of the SGS compared to the bulky controls of the Polaris bikes. It’s as if the guys at Polaris added some square bulky accessories onto the handlebars, where the SGS and all Harley controls flow nice and uniform. Another thing you failed to mention is the infotainment. You were on the SGS not the SG right? Come on umm navigation come to mind. Hello!!!

I could go on and on about this review but I’ll leave it at that for now. All I’m saying is I like your magazine, but if people are going to use this article to help purchase a bike, you need to give a more full review. Maybe take some of the key points that you did in your more hands on reviews of these bikes in previous articles that were published. All three of these bikes have hearts over 100 cubic inches and will take you where you want to go. However its the comfort and enjoyment you get out of the bike during the trip that maters the most.

obviously you are deffinitly HD biased,have you ridden the vic? as for the box controls you mentioned,well they are exactly where they should be accessable ,as for the display,really?poking and proding info center with your hand off the bar does not seem safe to me.and as for bottom end torque ,all about cams,yes a little quicker off the line but totally flatten out at speed …nothing left to pass cars as for the vic,hang on,handleling, the vic will out perform all in this class.i will not comment on the Indian as i have not had enough seat time like the HD and the cc .all i will say is HD is really slipping away, over priced and out dated engeneering.just do the math of operating costs over a year and you will surely see the light………….don’t drink the cool aid and look at the reality

I have ridden both but not the basic models.I road the cc tour and the Electra glide ultra.I rented both of these for a day in the saddle.The wife liked the storage on cc but did not care for the wind buffeting on the cc.I liked both bikes they both have their strength and weakness.I do like the fact that I can cruse down the highway without the radio and just enjoy the sound of the hd just rumbling down the road. The one thing that was a game changer was the clunking of the gears from 1st to 3rd and the winning sound from the cc.OK I could live with the clunking of the gears but that winning noise just really gets on my nerves.So we chose the HD and 4500 miles later I’m glad we did.We love this machine.

I would hope the controls and infotainment would be better on a bike that costs $3500 more has had over 100 years to figure it out. Maybe they should have put that info in there also? Bulky controls also may work better with certain gloves so to some people it is function over just looks. Some people don’t even like to listen to music when riding. Personal preference plays a huge role in a review on these bikes. If I was reviewing these bikes it would be more about the meat and potatoes of the bike vs the fluff but that is just me.

Buy the magazine for a full review, they are more descriptive than a short blurb like this. Magazines can’t make any money to do a review at all if nobody buys their magazines.

Daryl Hermann,
If you want a Harley Kiss-Ass story, just go by a Harley magazine. I think this story was quite fair in evaluating all of the bikes. There are more bikes in the country than Harley. Everyone deserves to form their own opinion on what is a better bike, just like with cars and other items.

I’ve always ridden Harley’s and was faithful to the brand I grew up with so when it was time for me trade in my 2007 SG I immediately went to my local HD dealer and test road the new Rushmore SG and thought I fell in love (I didn’t care for the touch screen nav). On a whim I also test road an Indian Chieftain and a Victory Cross Country. I was impressed by all three bikes for many of the reasons which were touched upon in the above review. To my surprise though I really loved and enjoyed the Victory. For the first time in more than 30+ years of riding I actually found a bike that fit my 76″ frame! Nothing I read online regarding the Victory on the HD sight I frequent was true.

I’ve already put 2800 miles on my 2014 XC and couldn’t be happier. I can see good things in Victory’s future as long as they continue to produce bikes performing this well. The Victory is a motorcycle riders dream as it was designed to ride hard and long and I can’t wait to start racking up some serious miles on this incredible machine.

Sounds like they did a great job of comparing the bike’s to me. While I love the classic looks of the Harley, the victory out performed it evertime. I know some people are die hard Harley fans, but I ride what works for me, Victory. It always amazes me that people trying to down grade the bike always refer to it as Polaris instead of victory. I choose what I ride but how it feels and holds up, not the name on the tank.

I love riding a big bike. It was a gorgeous day in south Florida yesterday for riding. But my goodness, the price of these bikes are outrageous! If you add two more wheels you could call them Buicks cuz they cost the same. Yeah, I know it’s the evolution of an ever better product but more and more these bikes are only for doctors lawyers bankers and CEOs. In the mean time I’ll stick with my old metric cruiser. Maybe in 15 years I can afford one of these for$7500! That said, now you can hate on me!

I own a 1998 Valkyrie Tourer and a 2012 Victory Vegas 8-Ball custom with trunk, bags, windshield and more. Both of these bikes have Cobra exhausts and are fun to ride Both are keepers!

The Victory is lots of fun, much lighter, quicker off the line and gets way better gas mileage. Both are great bikes, but the Victory gets ridden a lot more often. The Valkyrie is bigger, handles slower and is hard to cut through traffic jams because of it’s width. It’s width also has your legs splayed like a wishbone ready to pop when you try and run highway pegs.

The comparisons were made on bikes with equal level trim. Harley offers stripped down models that are more affordable but by the time you add all the stuff to customize it you’re over budget for a VIctory or Indian if you can even find a Harley equivalent.

I love the look of the new 111 engine. I know it’s classic Indian, but I’m not in love so much with the front fender of the Indian. My current bike is a Valkyrie, which I love and won’t part with. It’s my second Valkyrie and I love the 6 cylinder silky smooth power and sound. However, I’m wanting a new bike and the Victory has been on my short list. There’s a new Valkyrie coming out, but I’ll have to experience it in person as Honda has changed it from the classic retro styling of the past. Just not sure I’d be happy riding on only 2 cylinders. Where is the 4 cylinder Indian??? Would love Indian to resurrect this beauty.

I rode the Indian this summer in Sturgis, in fact, I was on the third wave of early risers the day of it’s public demo-rides. We took the bikes on the same service road to Whitewood that I’ve taken all sorts of machines on, including but not limited to Harleys, Excelsior-Henderson’s, Victory’s, Big Dog’s, and Triumph’s. Of all the bikes, the Indian struck me as having the most grunt. So much so, that when I got back on my machine I stalled it almost right away. And that’s after having owned it for the past ten years and 80,000 plus miles. I also made a point to cross the rough railroad tracks in Whitewood as quickly as prudently possible, and the suspension soaked it up better than anything I’ve had the pleasure to ride, with the possible exception of my KTM 950 Adventure S.
My next street-bike is going to be an Indian, it’s just a matter of getting an existing loan obligation satisfied. I hope by then they’ll be offering some more color choices in both metal and leather. Although it handled like garbage, the Silver Cloud Gilroy Indian was certainly easy on the eyes. I also wish someone in Polaris’s engineering department would work on a solution to kicking out that Chieftain front-end another 5 degrees. It looks like it ran in to a wall.
I guess that’s enough for now,

Since writing my earlier comment I have had a chance to ride the chieftain model with a set of performance pipes. The owner (a Polaris employee working the Indian tent on Lazalle Street) was nice enough to let me take it for as long as I needed to make up my mind, so I set out for Deadwood followed by Spearfish and back to Sturgis. The ride was impressive! Shifting was smooth, acceleration as well, and braking too! The only thing troubling me a bit was the amount of heat coming off of the motor. It was around 10 AM on a pleasant Friday morning and I was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and my helmet. By the time I got back to the dealership I was perspiring. Go figure.
Considering the amount of grunt this machine produces, I suppose it would follow that more heat would be generated than say my FXSTD, but to the point of breaking a sweat? I’m also wondering why I haven’t read about this anywhere else; am I the only one who’s experienced this?
Anyway, I’m still impressed with the Indian. I just don’t think my next one will be the Chieftain. Maybe the plain Jane (Classic?) with some IronBags or a set from Gilroy’s Cobbler.

I think the new SG is the best looking bike of the bunch. I rode an Electra Glide, a Gold Wing, and then the Vic CCT. I bought the Vic CCT. Hands down handled so much better than the HD and was more comfortable than the GW. I am 6 ft tall. The HD’s seem cramped in the cockpit. The Goldwing needs the F6B seat for us bigger folks. The Vic I can stretch out on. Plus with cams, air filter, some slip-ons, PCV, and a tune I am running 121HP/119TQ to the rear tire. All that for a $2500 upgrade. Not many can keep up!

I am looking to buy a dresser. I own a nice Harley Softail. Today, my wife and I went and looked at the Indian , the Victory then off to see the Chinese made Harleys. I gotta tell ya, we were not happy to see the Harley was so way over priced with all the Chinese parts on it. I really liked the Indian however, we found a place that had all 3 in a row…side by side. We think the Victory stands out to have the cleanest lines. I am 6’2 1/2″ tall. What is really the best bike, name put aside? Thanks, Randy

I have ridden the HD and Victory CC – I now own the Victory
Being longer in the leg the victory just fit vs the shorter stance on the HD
I know a lot of guys taller than me but they don’t have the same leg length – As far as the sound – took me 5 minutes to remove the baffles and I now have a very nice low rumble – stock tips are still in place and baffles could be welded back in if required

If you are tall with a long inseam – try the Victory it handles better than the HD or the Honda i had previously

I just got a 2014 Victory Cross Country. It’s my second Vic having owned a Judge for a short while. Loved it, but the wife didn’t think much of the seat. Having rode Harley’s, Honda’s, Yamaha’s……I’ll take the Victory everyday and twice on Sunday. It has the performance, ride and handling that I’m looking for.

I own a 2008 Victory VIsion, Street Premium, never a problem. Did 6600 miles in 9 days in 2012, no problems. in torrential rains or blistering desert heat. Once you kick the Harley habit you realize that there are indeed more reliable American made bikes out there that don’t need a shop every 15 miles. In 2011 I spent a day riding through tropical depression Lee from SC to Tuscaloosa AL. Did 4040 miles in 8 days on that trip, The Vic passed with flying colors. I’ve put 34,000 miles on this bike with nary a peep. brake change at 26,000, 2 sets of tires and 6 oil changes are all the maintenance I’ve done. I bought the fender to fender warranty with this bike and never had to use it. I did so because it was the first bike I ever bought. I went to Harley dealers to check bikes out before settling on the VIctory, but the arrogance of the current Harley dealers in my neck of the woods cost them a sale, plus I found them way overpriced for what they were offering.

As the other comment that was made before, You don’t need the parts and service on the road like HD. I’ve been riding reliable bikes for many decades now. Have had many Metric cruisers and Touring bikes including a Goldwing.

Breakdown and constant service has been so engrained into the minds of HD owners, that it becomes a make or break deal from buying a much better and more comfy scoot.

I say put the coolaid down and step away from that HD coolaid bar. It is quite hilarious to see just how many used Harleys are at the local Vic dealer. They almost have as many used HD’s that the HD delaer has “New” bikes.

Try out a new Vic or Indian especially if all you have owned was an HD. I think Victory is really on to something with their slogan. “If you ride one, you’ll own one.”

Well I found this comparo to be very very good and pretty much accurate to what I’ve experienced myself on all three bikes. Ridden all of them and I’m currently in the market.
I’d agree that the Vic is the most comfy, roomy and sporty of the bunch. The Harley is the worst riding position for me at 6′ tall. It is also the sloppiest feeling to me too. this bike feels so sloppy everywhere. The frame seems to flex way too much on this one for my taste. I was very uneasy when going into turns on the Harley. The Vic was a sport bike on steroids(size wise). The Chieftain handles super well to me. Feels solid as a rock in the turns and the brakes are great too! I’d have to say that the Indian gets more looks than the other two hands down, especially from other bikers.
I currently ride a Metric Big twin at 110″ that is now 13 years old. The one that started all this “Big Twin” awesomeness. My bike is highly customized and is now a full on “Bagger” as these all are. I’m used to the power of my bike, so getting on these three is actually a downgrade in power. Have had mine dyno at 108 hp and 124ft lbs to the rear wheel. Yes it has been modified. The bike is the Honda VTX 1800C. I’ve got used to monster power with super reliability and comfort. I’m just ready for something new to start doing my custom touches to now.
My best friend owns an 08 Vic Vision Tour Premium with almost 67K trouble free miles. I do all of his maintenance and all we’ve done is tires, oil, air filters, and brakes. We added a Arlen Ness fuel controler, a set of pipes and an air filter. I have probably 300-400 miles in the seat of this beauty. It is very sporty and solid yet comfy. I have learned to really like the Vics and how well they have been engineered. I’m also amazed at how many of the parts are the same as my Honda VTX. The Vic Vision has the exact same brakes and I even installed an extra set of front brakes for my bike on my buddies Vision. They have the exact same size wheels, same rotors.

My friend just recently bought a brand new Indian Chieftain, yet is keeping his Vision as well. When we were both riding home from the dealer(Hollister)a couple of weeks ago, we swapped bikes at his request. I rode it home about 70-80 miles. I LOVED IT!!!!!
I still love the VCCT though and think I will go with that Vic instead. I will cam it, pipe it and add a fuel controller and be well over the power of these other two scoots and still get the gas mileage. I’d never dream of owning the Harley just case I’ve never been one to buy something just because everyone else is. I think they are pretty bikes for sure, but pretty won’t get you down the road unless you area hooker or a super model.
I can’t even number up how many Harley riders I’ve stopped and helped that are broke down. No those aren’t old bikes either. Had a brand new Dyna puke out all of its oil right in front of my while riding to Street Vibrations. He still had the dealers plates on it. I think the factory rep from Indian said it best. “If you want a boutique” bike then buy a Harley. But if you want to get a bike that has the looks and performance that will outlast anything Harley could even dream of building, the buy an Indian or a Victory.”

You guys who are negative re any of these bikes are way off base. They are all good machines by there own right. This is America boys where personal preference is a right. Been riding for 40years now, many manufactures, no bias. Different strokes for the folks. Enjoy the ride be safe and not hateful. Be happy we have the competitive spirit back on the big bike market, the outcome means better machines for all of us

Been riding since the late 60’s. Rode a jap bike from Colorado to VA in 73 when I got discharged. Then HD from 83 till now. Getting ready(hopefully) to get an 2015Ultra Limited Low. Got no legs. Question I see where every one talks about how bad and often the HD’s breakdown?? Is that really the case. This will be like my 8th HD and have yet to have any issue other than to me they are over priced. I have not ridden a Victory yet but know they only have a few dealers in some States but if they never have problems??

I own none of the above, but I have a brother-in-law who was a devout HD rider all his life even though the dealer kept it longer in his shop than my BIL kept it in his garage. When the front end fell apart at 60 mph and he totaled it and the insurance settled with him he only had enough to buy 75% of a new HD, on the way home he went by a Kawasaki dealer that had a fully dressed Voyager out front, he rode it home and never looked back. He and his wife put more miles on that Kawasaki in the first year they owned it than they had ever been able to put on his 3 HDs. I am currently working on a deal with a VCCT which I plan to retire on.

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